Too far to be famous?

The rugged Jura country is not where you'd expect to find the best
restaurant in France, Alice Cairns writes.

When Hotel Jean-Paul Jeunet in Arbois, in the Jura region, was
awarded the best establishment of the year award for 2006 by the
prestigious Gault Millau restaurant guide, it was probably a blow
to restaurants in more glamorous parts of France.

Although Jean-Paul Jeunet has already been awarded two Michelin
stars, he is by no means a household name.

His restaurant is much admired locally but, like a lot of things
in the Jura, it doesn't usually get a lot of attention from the
rest of the country, much less the rest of the world.

On the edge of eastern France and closer to Geneva than Paris,
it's a region of mountains, rough countryside, thick pine forests
and harsh winters, reliant on farming and forestry for its
income.

Arbois also has a small and thriving wine industry - which is
probably why there are several rather good restaurants in the town,
of which Jeunet's is the most inventive.

A third-generation restaurateur, Jeunet is proud of his region
and his menu is dotted with local delicacies: saucisse (sausage)
from Morteau and vin jaune, the sherry-like white wine for which
the Jura is most famous.

But the staples of traditional French cuisine are there too:
foie gras, pigs' ears, frogs, asparagus, truffles, langoustines
(clawless crayfish or scampi). The surprise is in the use of
them.

At first sight the restaurant has all the hallmarks of heavy,
serious French cooking. The staff are firm but not chilly,
elaborately professional. The decor is serious, featuring
distressed paintwork, billowing drapes and thick beams.

On the Sunday night when we arrive the main dining room is
half-empty and echoing. Two small boys eating with their parents
are so overwhelmed by the atmosphere they scarcely say a word all
evening. A few expensively dressed middle-aged local couples are
exchanging low-voiced repartee.

The tone is distinctly lightened by the arrival of a younger
couple dressed in slippers and fleeces, presumably having ambled
down from the hotel upstairs, with two rather less subdued
children.

Everyone is choosing their food with great attention. The set
menus range from EUR68 to EUR128 ($115 to $216), from extensive to
excessive, and the a la carte offerings are from EUR19 for a
starter up to EUR45 for a main course. We go for two EUR68 set
menus and two a la cartes.

Straight away we all receive mise en bouche, a mouthful of snail
puree and cockles in jelly, just the right mix of unexpected and
familiar, then we are off on a meal that lasts three hours and
includes at least five courses each, even for the two of us eating
a la carte.

It includes a gelee of foie gras, pig's tongue and truffles,
langoustine in a creamy sauce, ragout of rabbit and saucisse
Morteau, asparagus with dribble of oils, chicken with morilles
mushrooms cooked in vin jaune, an exceptionally good cheese board
and a perfect creme brulee.

The presentation is charming, quirky and the portions generous.
The service is the gliding, unobtrusive sort and at no time is any
diner left empty-handed, despite the way we have ordered. Little
snacks of gelee, more mise en bouche, a plate of tiny
patisseries.

The head waiter proudly intones the ingredients of each dish as
it arrives - it's a performance worthy of the food.

And the wine list? Arbois is a centre for viticulture and
Jeunet's father was a meilleur sommelier in his time, so the wine
list is impressive. As well as a range from the south and
Bourgogne, there are two pages of local whites and another of local
reds.

By the end of the evening we are all floating on a cloud, elated
by our experience.

As we leave, Jeunet is there to say goodbye in person. He is
proud but not gloating about the accolade of being establishment of
the year. "I'm pleased for the team," he says modestly.

He adds that the critic is putting his money where his review is
- he is back with his wife and children that very weekend.

TRAVEL SPECIALS

1143084040274-theage.com.auhttp://www.theage.com.au/news/france/too-far-to-be-famous/2006/03/25/1143084040274.htmltheage.com.auThe Guardian2006-03-28Too far to be famous?Alice CairnsThe rugged Jura country is not where you'd expect to find the best
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